My Little Summer Joys: 30 Simple Ideas to Slow Down and Enjoy the Season

When summer arrives, the pace naturally slows down. The sun warms the shutters at dawn, the days stretch out gently, and we learn to savor simple pleasures again. Breathing the sea air, walking barefoot in the grass, picking ripe fruit from the garden, treating ourselves to a natural treatment after a sunny day... These small summer pleasures embody a gentler, more conscious, more grounded philosophy of life.

This lighthearted article is an ode to slow life , to a peaceful, sensory, and ethical summer routine. A selection of joyful, minimalist moments, inspired by nature, zero waste, artisanal skincare... and a hint of salty air, where I live, by the sea.

My 30 Little Slow, Ethical, and Gentle Summer Joys

Morning Joys

1. Waking up without an alarm clock, to the sound of birds singing.

2. Take a morning bike ride along the coast.

3. The smell of my skin still warm after a cool shower.

4. Drink an iced coffee on the terrace, barefoot.

5. Let my hair dry naturally in the wind.

Natural and sensory pleasures

6. The salty sea air that tingles the cheeks.

7. A nap on the couch after a walk.

8. Bite into a ripe fig, picked straight from the tree in the garden.

9. Smell the scent of warm tomatoes from the garden while preparing a salad.

10. Pick the sun-drenched blackberries from the ground or from the mulberry tree.

11. Walking barefoot on the grass and hearing it crackle.

12. Listen to the buzzing of bees and bumblebees in my lavender plants and on the different flowers that make up my garden.

1 3. Hang the laundry outside and find it scented by the sun.

Moments of softness and care

14. Light a lavender and white musk candle in the early evening.

15. Prepare an Ayurvedic Nidra infusion after an active day.

16. Take a cool shower with orange blossom soap .

17. Apply a vegetable oil after sun to my slightly damp skin.

18. Massage my feet after a day spent barefoot or in sandals.

19. Read in the garden or on the beach, without looking at the time.

20. Prepare a homemade mist with mint and chamomile.

Evening rituals

21. Look at the stars at midnight.

22. Write down three gratitudes in a notebook every night.

23. Listen to the crickets before going to sleep, with the windows open.

24. Take the time to do my facial ritual, slowly.

25. Treat myself to a foot bath with warm water, Epsom salts, and lavender essential oil.

Shared happiness

26. Prepare a simple, local meal to share with family.

27. Laugh with friends around a campfire or candle.

28. Exchange vegetables from the garden with neighbors.

29. Bake a cake with fruit from the garden (my figs!).

30. Watch a summer thunderstorm together from the veranda.

A philosophy of life, quite simply

These small summer pleasures are to be picked like seasonal fruits: simply, with presence and gratitude. They remind us that living more slowly, more naturally, is an accessible form of luxury! An infusion, an ocean breeze, a soft soap on the skin, a shared laugh: these moments are precious.

Slowing down, savoring the present moment, reconnecting with nature and with yourself... that's also what an ethical summer is about according to Le sens des choses .

And you, what are your little slow, sensory or zero waste pleasures during the summer season?